In advance of Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate here in Boulder, OIA has released a new public opinion poll that shows majorities of likely voters in the battleground states of Colorado and Nevada say issues involving public lands, water and wildlife are important factors in deciding whom to support.

In fact, we found that these issues have a significant influence on voters, with 84 percent in Colorado and 77 percent in Nevada saying public lands, waters and wildlife issues are important in deciding whether to support a public official.

The poll also shows that most voters in Colorado and Nevada believe outdoor recreation and access to national public lands help the economy and are essential to the quality of life in those states.

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Voters in both Colorado and Nevada agreed that their states should invest more in jobs and businesses related to outdoor recreation and tourism, even above those in the oil and gas and mining industries in both states, the health care industry in Colorado and gaming industry in Nevada.

Further, voters across the political spectrum in Colorado and Nevada are opposed to proposals that would give state governments control over America’s public lands, sometimes referred to as “state takeover.”Voters in both states also believe that these places have a positive impact on protecting our nation’s history and heritage.

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The poll was conducted October 6–10, 2015, by Public Opinion Strategies, one of the nation’s leading public opinion research firms, and included 500 likely Republican, Democratic, and independent voters in each state.